Part 1: A Period Abroad
Desperate for something different, at the end of my undergrad degree, I decided to spend a year abroad teaching English in South Korea.
Going Away Gifts
As my departure drew near, my loved ones inquired as to what they could gift me as a going away present. I concluded what I needed most was Tampons. I needed to bring with me, a years’ supply as I had not met, nor began my relationship with the diva cup. In my prior research of life in Korea, I learned that North Americans did not like the choice of period products available. The forums I consulted concluded the products available to be too small and too fragrant.
I had a horrible visual of a small, bloodied, but pretty smelling tampon falling out of me, or causing a yeast infection and I wouldn’t know how to acquire treatment for. That was enough to ignite the amassing of tampons.
Suitcase Status- Full of Tampons
The acquisition was successful. I had boxes of tampons that I had unboxed and placed carefully into the front compartment of my large suitcase. The one that housed all the things that I thought I might need for a year abroad. All the things that I felt I would need to help me decide on what was next for my life. All in a large black suitcase.
On the day of my departure, my entire family, including both sets of grandparents, came to the airport to see me off. During check in, I put my large black suitcase on the scale and it was a few pounds overweight. I wasn’t ready to part with anything, so I begged the staff person to let it be. She agreed to let it go without overage fees, but I was subjected to take it to oversize baggage, where I was selected for a random bag search.
I Cause the Drama
I thought nothing of it, until the man working at this counter went to open the front compartment of my suitcase. As he unzipped, I recalled the contents of this pocket and reached out to hold the compartment shut. I was too late. Dozens of tampons spilled out of my suitcase and onto the airport floor. My mom, step mom and I dropped to the floor and scrambled to pick them up as the man handling my suitcase blushed with fury. I laughed hysterically, while my grandparents looked upon us in shock and horror.
The blushed man handling my suitcase had the balls to ask, “Why do you need so many of these?” I felt like quoting the show Friends, “No uterus, no opinion.” I held my tongue and shot him a look that said, “Really?” It’s not like you can make a bomb out of tampons. Why was it his business?
We secured the tampons back into the suitcase. The man a the oversized baggage didn’t continue with the rest of the search.
And after a teary eyed goodbye, I was off to Korea.